The Effects of Military-Induced Separation on Family Factors and Child Behavior

Data from 61 mothers of school-age children (5–13 yrs old) were examined before, during, and after military deployment of their husbands. Mothers completed 3 self-report instruments: the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III), the Parenting Dimensions Inventory, and the Child Behavior Checklist. Separations resulted in temporary disruptions in families' reported ability to maintain supportive relationships. Wives of servicemen sent to the Persian Gulf War reported less nurturance and family cohesiveness, and more internalizing and externalizing in children, than did those whose husbands' deployment was routine. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)